The present invention relates to an audio system, and, more specifically, to an audio system for a retractable canopy such as used with child strollers and rockers.
One major challenge with children is to keep them comfortable and happy for an extended period of time. To this end, audio systems have been developed that can play music or other sounds that have a soothing effect on a child. Some of these audio systems use an audio source (such as a portable CD player, mini disc player, tape cassette player, MP3 player, or radio), speakers, and electrical leads.
One disadvantage of prior art audio systems is the use of electrical leads and speakers that are built into a child-carrying device, such as a child safety seat in a car. More particularly, child car seats typically have rigid plastic vertical side panels that face inward toward each other and confine the child""s lateral movement to the seating area therebetween. The speakers are usually disposed toward the upper end of these side panels in the interior thereof with side panel apertures provided for emitting sound therefrom. Leads can extend internally across the backrest to connect the speakers and then down at least one of the side panels to connect to the audio source disposed in a recessed compartment molded into the plastic base of the seat. Only a jack at the end of the speaker line resides in the base compartment. Obviously, if the leads or speakers become defective, repair or replacement of the leads or speakers is difficult. The child device must be physically altered in order to remove the defective leads or speakers and to repair them or to replace them with new ones. Where the speakers and leads are incorporated between fabric layers of an apron adapted to fit over a child car seat, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,352 to Leal et al., there is the problem of how one is to clean or wash the apron without being able to remove these electrical components. As these aprons are typically in need of fairly regular cleanings, such as in a washing machine, it is clear that such a built-in audio system is not very practical.
Strollers lack rigid side panels akin to those in car seats. Instead, stroller frames support flexible fabric material when attached to the frame rods so that the child""s weight generally conforms the fabric about their body, including at least partially on their sides and on opposite sides of the child""s head. Probably because of the potential engagement of the fabric with the child""s head, hard plastic speakers have not been built into the fabric thereat as has been done with child car seats, and the aprons therefor.
An extendible canopy is often provided for covering above the seating area. The canopy has support hoops or ribs that are pivotal for collapsing the fabric material therebetween when the canopy is retracted. The fabric is stretched and taut between the ribs when the canopy is in its full extended position. The canopy fabric is a single layer of material. Accordingly, with this construction and dynamic operational requirements, audio systems specifically adapted for use with strollers and canopies therefor have not been provided.
Accordingly, there is a need for an audio system that is adapted for use with a child stroller. It would also be desirable to provide an audio system that has conveniently replaceable components. More specifically, there is a need for an audio system that is well adapted for use with a canopy of a stroller or the like that can be extended and retracted.
In accordance with the present invention, an audio system is provided that can be used with a child stroller or rocker, preferably with the canopy covering the seating thereof. It should be noted that the audio system of the present invention can be used with other child devices that employ a canopy that can be extended or retracted as by pivoting. In this regard, the preferred audio system is self-contained with the canopy in that the canopy preferably removably mounts to the child device and the audio system is carried by the canopy in pockets sewn or otherwise attached thereto and in which can be received speakers and an audio source, as will be described in more detail herein. Thus, in the preferred form, it is the canopy that carries the audio system allowing the separate fabric seat to be removed from, for instance, the stroller frame for washing, maintenance and the like. Further, the audio system allows for components of the system, e.g., speakers and speaker wires, to be easily removed or replaced without requiring alteration of the canopy itself.
The audio system herein may be used to accomplish several purposes. The audio system may be used to play soothing music to help settle an infant or help the infant get to sleep. In addition, the audio system may be used to play music to stimulate the musical talent of young children or to play educational CDs or tapes to enhance learning. The audio system may also be used to play CDs and tapes of stories or music to entertain the child.
As mentioned, in the preferred form, the audio system is associated with the canopy of the child stroller or rocker. The audio system generally includes an audio source, such as a portable CD player, mini disc player, tape cassette player, MP3 player, or radio; speakers; and an electrical lead for connecting the audio source and speakers. The speakers are contained in pockets located along the opposing outer sides of the canopy, and the speakers may be easily inserted in and removed from these pockets.
More specifically, the speaker sizing and pocket placement have been carefully coordinated and selected so that interference with normal operation of the canopy is substantially avoided while also providing optimum sound quality for being heard by a child in the seating area of the stroller, for example. Canopies are known that use arcuate support members or hoops sewn into the fabric at their front and rear ends, as well as one intermediate the canopy ends between which the single layer fabric material of the canopy is stretched as the canopy is extended over the seating area. The support members converge toward each other at their lower ends on opposite lower sides of the canopy. Their upper and arcuate portions are pivotally shifted closely adjacent to or against each other with the canopy retracted and are spaced from each other when it is extended. It is in the area between the support member upper portions that there is the greatest amount of fabric material for the pockets; however, this is generally too far up on the canopy to effectively convey sound from the speakers for the desired stereophonic effect to be heard therefrom in the seating area therebelow.
To this end, the audio system herein makes use of the area between the support members generally along their vertical runs below the top region of the canopy despite the lack of the canopy fabric surface area thereat by keeping the speaker assemblies including the housing therefor to a very compact size while not sacrificing too much, if at all, in the way of their sound quality. This allows the pockets to be smaller and to be attached to the canopy fabric between the converging vertical portions of the support members at an optimum location for providing the stereophonic effect, e.g., generally aligned with the vertical position of a typical child""s head when a child is supported in the stroller""s seating area. In addition, the small size speakers minimize the chance that the speakers will become clamped between the canopy support members as it is being retracted, and thus preventing full retraction of the canopy. Instead, with the small size pockets and speakers therein, the speakers and pockets will more likely tend to find their way into the portions of the folds of canopy fabric material as it collapses between the support members that are interior of the canopy and spaced from the portions of the support members that come into position closely adjacent to or engaged against each other. Further, even if the speakers are captured between the support members during canopy retraction, their low profile still allows the shifted support members to be closely adjacent to each other for substantial full retraction of the canopy.
Thus, the position of the pockets takes into account several factors associated with optimizing both the quality of the sounds emanating from the speakers as experienced by a child in the seating area of the stroller and operation of the canopy for retraction and extension thereof. As discussed, the canopy includes pivotal arcuate forward and rearward support members pivotally attached at their bottom ends, and an intermediate arcuate support member between the forward and rearward support members. Accordingly, the support members all diverge from each other as they extend upwardly to support the material of the canopy at the top thereof.
It is preferred that a pivot hinging mechanism be operatively connected to the forward and rearward support members at a position above the bottom ends thereof on either side of the canopy. The hinging mechanism provides a friction cam lock when the canopy is fully extended while allowing it to be retracted as by pulling upward on the cam lock members at their pivot for pivoting of the hinging mechanism members thereby releasing the lock. Thus, while there is a lot of material at the top of the canopy onto which pockets can be sewn, such placement does not maximize the stereophonic effect of the speakers. On the other hand, there is not as much material between the support members as they begin to converge toward the bottom of the canopy, and the hinging mechanism is also disposed in this lower region of the canopy. Having the pockets very low on the canopy while possibly achieving good stereophonic sound quality can interfere with the normal pivoting operation that the support members and hinging mechanism undergo during retraction of the canopy. Herein, the pocket placement has been carefully oriented so as to provide the maximum in stereophonic effect while still allowing the canopy to be operated without experiencing interference from the speakers in the pockets.
The speakers preferably are retained in the pockets, in part, by flaps attached to the tops of the pockets. Most preferably, the pockets are provided with upper openings through which the speakers can be moved, and the flaps can be attached to the canopy above the associated upper opening so as to be able to substantially close over the openings. The speakers can also be retained in the pockets, when the canopy is retracted, as by action of the adjacent support members so that the pockets are folded inwardly of the support members, as discussed, minimizing the chance that the speakers may fall out of the pockets, such as if the pockets were left open. This also allows the speakers to be hidden when not in use by retraction of the canopy.
The speakers are connected to ends of an electrical lead having a split construction. When the speakers are inserted into the side pockets of the canopy, the electrical lead is disposed along the outside of the canopy. The split ends of the electrical lead are connected together to form a common electrical lead that terminates in a jack. The jack, in turn, can be connected to an audio source, such as a CD player, mini disc player, cassette player, MP3 player, or radio. The electrical lead preferably is of a predetermined length that is coordinated with the pocket placement about the canopy so that as the lead extends along the outside of the canopy, there is a minimum of lead line drooping or hanging. The electrical lead may also be retained to the canopy by holders, most preferably including velcro strips, located on the outer surface of the canopy to further minimize the amount of drooping of the lead line.
The audio source is located in a pocket associated with the rear hood of the canopy. The pocket is large enough to easily accommodate a variety of different audio sources, including older model radios, tape cassette players, and CD players that are relatively bulky in size. The pocket for the audio source also has a flap to retain the audio source therein. In addition, the audio source pocket can be cushioned by a pad provided on the inner surface of the canopy to minimize discomfort to a child occupying the child-carrying device.
These and other advantages are realized with the described audio system. The invention""s advantages may be best understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.